Stamp duty and registration: what you actually pay, state by state

The rate depends on where, and on who is buying

Stamp duty is a state subject, so the same purchase costs different amounts across NCR. Several states also charge less where the buyer is a woman, which is a real and frequently unused saving on a purchase this size.

Indicative rates at the time of writing:

• Delhi: 6% for a male buyer, 4% for a female buyer, 5% jointly. Registration 1%.
• Haryana (Gurugram, Faridabad): 7% male, 5% female, 6% joint in urban areas. Registration up to ₹50,000.
• Uttar Pradesh (Noida, Ghaziabad): 7% male, with a rebate for female buyers capped at a set amount. Registration 1%.

Rates change. Confirm the current figure with the relevant revenue department or your lawyer before you budget on it — and treat any number on any website, including this one, as a starting point rather than an authority.

The circle rate can decide your bill, not your price

Duty is charged on the higher of your agreed price and the government's circle rate for that locality and property type. If you negotiate a genuinely good deal in an area with a high circle rate, you pay duty on the circle rate anyway.

This catches people out in two situations in particular: distress sales, and floors on plots where the circle rate has been revised upward recently. Both are worth checking before you finalise a number, because the difference is paid in cash on registration day.

What the day itself involves

Registration happens at the sub-registrar's office with both parties present, and it is more procedural than dramatic.

• Duty is paid in advance, usually by e-stamping.
• Both parties and two witnesses attend with original identity documents.
• Biometrics and photographs are taken.
• The deed is executed and returned, usually within a few days to a couple of weeks depending on the office.

Appointment availability, not paperwork, is the usual cause of delay. Book early.

The costs people forget to budget for

Stamp duty and registration are the large, obvious items. The rest add up to more than most buyers expect.

• Legal due diligence, typically ₹25,000 upward for a proper title opinion.
• Brokerage, commonly around 1% where an agent is involved.
• Mutation of the property in municipal records after registration.
• Society or maintenance transfer charges, where any apply.
• Renovation, which on a floor described as needing work runs to roughly ₹1,200 per square foot.

The acquisition-cost estimate on every floor on this site adds these up for you, using the rate for your state and buyer profile. It is a budgeting tool, not a quotation.